Thai, Cambodian leaders to meet in Malaysia on July 28 for talks on border conflict

SISAKET, Thailand/PHNOM PENH - The leaders of Thailand and Cambodia will attend mediation talks over their deadly border conflict in Malaysia on July 28, the Thai government said, even as both sides accused each other of launching fresh artillery strikes across contested areas.

Talks are scheduled to begin at 3pm local time at the Malaysian Prime Minister’s Office in Kuala Lumpur on July 28, with Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai leading the Thai negotiating team, the Thai government announced in a statement on the night of July 27.

The meeting comes at the invitation of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. Malaysia, which chairs the regional grouping Asean, has informed the Thai government that Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet would also be attending the talks, the statement said.

Datuk Seri Anwar said the expected talks were to focus on an immediate ceasefire between the two fighting neighbours.

“They (government representatives of Cambodia and Thailand) have asked me to try and negotiate a peace settlement,” the Bernama national news agency quoted Mr Anwar as saying late on July 27.

“I’m discussing the parameters, the conditions, but what is important is an immediate ceasefire,” the Malaysian Premier said.

Tensions between Thailand and Cambodia have intensified since the late-May killing of a Cambodian soldier during a brief border skirmish. Border troops on both sides were reinforced amid a full-blown diplomatic crisis that brought Thailand’s fragile coalition government to the brink of collapse.

Hostilities resumed on July 24 and, within just four days, escalated into the worst fighting between the South-east Asian neighbours in more than a decade.

The death toll has risen above 30, including 13 civilians in Thailand and eight in Cambodia, while the authorities report that more than 200,000 people have been evacuated from border areas.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on July 27 spoke to Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa and Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn, and urged them to immediately de-escalate tensions, according a US State Department statement.

“The United States is prepared to facilitate future discussions in order to ensure peace and stability between Thailand and Cambodia,” the statement said.

Monday’s talks come after Malaysian PM Anwar last week proposed a ceasefire and US President Donald Trump said on July 26 that the two leaders had agreed to work on a ceasefire.

In a post on Truth Social, Mr Trump appeared to hold the threat of tariffs over the two countries, saying he hopes the countries will “get along for many years to come. When all is done, and peace is at hand, I look forward to concluding our trading agreements with both”.

Bangkok and Phnom Penh have each accused the other side of sparking last week’s hostilities.

Cambodia’s Defence Ministry said Thailand had shelled and launched ground assaults on Sunday morning at a number of points along the border. The ministry’s spokesperson said heavy artillery was fired at historic temple complexes.

“For me, I think it is great if Thailand agreed to stop fighting so both countries can live with peace,” Phnom Penh university student Sreung Nita told Reuters.

The Thai army said Cambodian forces had fired shots into several areas, including near civilian homes, on Sunday, and were mobilising long-range rocket launchers.

“The situation remains tense and Cambodian troops may be preparing intensified military operations to inflict maximum damage in the final stages before negotiations,” the army said in an update.

In the Thai province of Sisaket, Reuters reporters heard shelling throughout Sunday and said it was unclear which side of the border it was on.

A government health clinic about 10km from the border had shattered windows, collapsed walls and exposed wiring. Local media reported it was hit by artillery on Saturday, two days after the building and surrounding neighbourhood were evacuated.

Only a few men remained to look after their homes, camping near a makeshift bunker they had dug for protection. Intermittent sounds of artillery fire could be heard in the distance.

“It’s great that America is insisting on the ceasefire because it would bring peace,” Sisaket resident Thavorn Toosawan told Reuters.

Thailand and Cambodia have bickered for decades over undemarcated points along their 817km land border, with ownership of the ancient Hindu temples Ta Moan Thom and the 11th century Preah Vihear central to the disputes.

Preah Vihear was awarded to Cambodia by the International Court of Justice in 1962, but the situation worsened in 2008 after Cambodia attempted to list it as a Unesco World Heritage site. Skirmishes over several years brought at least a dozen deaths.

Cambodia said in June it had asked the International Court of Justice to resolve its disputes with Thailand. Bangkok says it has never recognised the court’s jurisdiction and prefers a bilateral approach. REUTERS, AFP, THE NATION/ASIA NEWS NETWORK